"But it is obviously other states, other countries, who have played a bigger part in these talks collapsing in recent days," she told New Zealand reporters before heading to the Apec leaders' retreat.
Trade Minister David Parker was at the meeting and said ministers had "returned to the position where there was stabilised [agreed] text so in that sense there is a legal agreement in respect of just about all of it."
"The 'just about' could be important...There is still more work to be done to bring them to a finality."
The TPP was concluded two years ago but US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the deal in January and since then, the remaining 11 countries have been working out which parts of the deal to suspend, with a view to reinstating them if the US joined in the future.
There is agreement on which of the clauses to suspend.
The outstanding issues reportedly include some aspects of cultural exemptions and auto manufacturing.
The name of the Trans Pacific Partnership has been changed to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Parker said that reflected the fact it was the most comprehensive and progressive trade deal on labour, environmental standards and the right of Governments to regulate and contained enforcement provisions for countries which breached them.
"It was important to some, including Canada that that be referenced in the renaming of the text because there is some misunderstanding about that out in the public."
Ardern said it was important to say that what had been negotiated was a different deal to the one which involved the United States.
